Hi all,
Roger Matthews was most often recorded in a duo with guitarist Booker T. Sapps, but here he plays solo. In the "John Henry" thread, at
http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=4256.msg87954#msg87954 , there is a version by Roger Matthews and Booker T. Sapp of that song in which Roger Matthews' rhythm playing behind the instrumental tag at the end of each verse is other-worldly--I've never heard anything like it.
George "Bullet" Williams is not doing his own singing here, does anyone know who the singer is? In the singer's spoken exhortations, he pronounces "touch" "tetch". Williams does some of the scariest vocalizing with his harp here:
Touch me light, pretty mama, this may be your last
Hey, hey, this may be your last
Touch me light, pretty mama, this may be your last (Spoken: Touch 'em, kid, touch 'em!)
Hey, went to the Nation, from there to the territo'
Couldn't find, my good gal, honey, nowhere I go (Spoken: Touch 'em again!)
Woke up this morning, woke the day before
Woke up this morning with the same thing on my mind (Spoken: Touch 'em now!)
I b'lieve to my soul, mama, got to leave your town
I ain't got no pretty mama, talk baby talk to me (Spoken: Touch 'em, boy, touch 'em!)
Ahh, ahh, talk baby talk to me
Ain't got no pretty mama, talk baby talk to me
I went to the Nation, from there to the territo'
I couldn't find my good gal, honey, nowhere I go (Spoken: Touch 'em, touch 'em!)
Honey, I b'lieve to my soul, got to leave your town
Got to leave your town (Spoken: Touch 'em, touch 'em now!)
Goin' to town, mama, talk with the Chief of Police
Tell 'im my good gal done quit me, sure can't see no peace
All best,
Johnm